The legacy of this erudite Buddhist scholar will remain for a long time to come

The 21st death anniversary of Deshabandu Alec Robertson fell on December 31, 2023. Alec Robertson was a high calibre Buddhist scholar whose demise has left a void in our society which is still palpable despite the passage of over two decades since his passing away in 2002 at the age of 74 years. This loss is felt alike among ordinary folk as well as Buddhist scholars amidst whom he shone like a beacon given his intellect and profound knowledge of the Buddha dharma. It is interesting to note that he was born to a Catholic Burgher family. His father was residing in Dodanduwa and he usually accompanied him whenever he made an occasional visit to the famous Dodanduwa island hermitage which was in close proximity to his father’s place of work. This was the abode of two scholarly reclusive German monks Gnanathiloka and Gnanaponika Maha Theras. Such encounters though rare, seem to have made an impact on the mind of young Alec. His thirst for the Dhamma was thus awakened. His father was a free thinker and had an interest in comparative religion. He had many books at home including books on Buddhism which young Alec read avidly. He embraced Buddhism while still in his teens, through conviction grounded on a sharp intellect. His quest to learn the Buddha dhamma opened very vividly in front of him with his association with scholarly erudite monks of yore like Venerable Palane Vajiragnana, Narada, Piyadassi, Kassapa and Soma theras, all of whom were incumbent monks of the Vajirarama temple. It is around this period that Alec Robertson met Prof. Gunapala Malalasekera who was a scholar of Pali. Mastering the Pali language, he relentlessly went on to master the Buddha Dhamma and acquire a deep understanding of all the three pitakas in its pristine purity. He did not have degrees in Buddhism nor did he follow any post graduate courses in Buddhist universities. He resorted to study the Suttas in depth, and was, essentially a self-made Buddhist scholar par excellence. Alec Robertson was also endowed with a very good memory and a knack of clear presentation. These rare attributes, complemented with a profound knowledge of the Dhamma which he practised and experienced made him a highly sought after speaker in a wide array of Buddhist fora. He had that charisma and personality that drew crowds. With his mastery of both the Sinhala and English languages as well, he often used public transport in his young days to reach distant venues in the outstations. Such was his deep commitment to propagate the Dhamma. Those who were privileged to listen to his talks still remember him for the eloquence and clarity of presentation, and not merely the depth of knowledge. How he answered any question that was raised was a sheer delight to watch, as the answers were prompt, precise, simple and relevant. The discussions usually followed a talk delivered by him. He encouraged questions and discussions. On a personal note, I remember how initially as a school boy and subsequently as a medical student I listened to his talks at Maitriya Hall on Saturdays conducted under the auspice of the Servants of the Buddha. He commenced participating in these meetings of the Servants of the Buddha while attending school and became its assistant secretory at the tender age of 21 years. He was then its secretary, and eventually took this society to lofty heights by being its president for 30 consecutive years. The Society itself has been in existence for 102 years. My father was very impressed with Alec Robertson and made it a point to come to Maitriya Hall when he was the speaker. I too along with my siblings had to accompany our parents but once Alec Robertson started his talks I was virtually riveted to my seat. Many years later, now as a doctor I followed my father’s footsteps and made it a point to follow these talks at Maitriya Hall whenever time permitted. Alec Robertson’s commitment to disseminate his knowledge and experience of the Dhamma was not confined to his talks. He published extensively. Very useful articles were written in Buddhist journals both locally and internationally and to newspapers. One such feat was to contribute an article in English to the Annual Buddhist Journal “Vesak Sirisara” every year over two decades without any interruption. Let me now quote a few excerpts from one of his publications: “In the days long past when we moved leisurely and at an even tenor and pace the corrupting and corroding influence of technology and materialism, had not spread their tentacles. It was comparatively easier for man to lead balanced, contented and happier lives. Thus, if we are to meet the various problems and challenges in the modern age with confidence and courage, we have to build up our moral and spiritual resources and also draw from our inner reserves of strength of character and stamina. The compassionate Buddha has shown us the way to the achievement of such an objective. It is the simple basic requirement of the observance and the practice of the five precepts which will inevitably bring harmony, peace and happiness to our confused and disordered lives, and also usher in a stable, peaceful and harmonious society. By the observance and practice of the five precepts one will not, in any way, cause harm to oneself and to the society at large. As a consequence peace, concord and harmony will reign in the hearts and minds of the individual and the various racial and religious groups that exist in society. This earth of ours would be transformed into a veritable heaven.” He wrote this article several decades ago in the last century, but when we look around society, with rampant corruption, deceit, wars, and massacres of the innocent we realize how true his assessment and predictions were, and how relevant all that is to the world today overwhelmed with so much turbulence and violence. So let us remember this great son of Sri Lanka as a scholar of Buddhism and an eloquent, erudite presenter who had so much of wisdom and foresight with a deep commitment to alleviate the suffering of mankind by propagating the teachings of the Buddha in a simple and practical way aligned to the simple contented life style he led himself. He is no longer with us but the legacy he has left will remain for a very long time to come. And I believe that the greatest tribute we could do is to make every effort to transform this unstable society the world over to a stable peaceful society by using the simple modalities of NonViolence and Truth which are achievable by adhering to the “pancha sila” which is the very quintessence of the solution Alec Robertson detailed so eloquently. May he realize the supreme bliss of nibbana with the least delay.